A fun-loving, piano-playing, visionary geek. Abiola Olaniran dreamed about the dramatic rise of the mobile space in Africa, and of his own tech empire to go with it. Five years later he is Nigeria’s highest paid Windows Game developer and CEO of his own software development company, Gamsole, with games topping over 4 million downloads. It offers ten games including the popular, TrafficJam, Candy Smasher, Mega Chicken and Ninja Jump, which is downloaded over 20, 000 times per day. Road Blazer, a car racing game where players speed through traffic while earning secret weapons, has attracted over 500,000 downloads alone since its launch in April 2013 to date.

I was fortunate to catch up with him over Skype to chat more about his story and views on the Gaming and software developer industry in Africa.

Why focus on developing games?

When I looked at the mobile space, I noticed that people most love to consume entertainment. About 38% of global phone users have a phone solely for this purpose, second to the use of social networks. People never get tired of gaming. Likewise, creating multimedia games is my passion.

How did you become a software developer?

I was always interested in technology and studied computer science and mathematics at University. This became my passion and I was already coding in Java Script as a student. I also connected with Microsoft mentors at the University who invited me to become a Microsoft Student Partner. This gave me the opportunity to be an evangelist for the company and I was organising student events, helping others learn about Windows, and spreading the word about DreamSpark, Microsoft’s online portal for developer resources and tools.

Why Windows?

I chosethe mobile Windows platform because it’s new, exciting and beginning to have ‘magic moments’. I also didn’t want to compete against established gaming companies like Senga where there’s about a one in 3000 chance of getting your game downloaded because of the competition.

Windows is easy for young aspiring developers to learn and in Africa it offers the most support. Growing up in Nigeria I was at the Microsoft offices every weekend where there were evangelists to help me. I don’t see that on the other platforms.

Tell us about your experience at the Imagine Cup World Finals in 2010.

I participated in Imagine Cup for two years running. The first year, our team came second in Nigeria, just missing the opportunity to attend the World Finals. The following year, I learned to hone my presentation skills, and focused on highlighting the key aspects of the app – and we won!

Imagine Cup is a great experience. It helped me believe that I had the power to create something amazing, and that young African students can do it too. I remember playing spider man as a kid and thinking, ‘Wow, the people who created this are crazy clever!’ Imagine Cup showed me that these people can be you or I.

What came next for you? How did you find out about startup accelerator 88mph?

With the confidence gained at Imagine Cup, and the experience it gave me in seeing an app idea through from idea stage to being published, I wrote a letter to Yalla Apps, which enables developers from around the world to submit their Windows Phone applications to the Microsoft marketplace without hassle - soon, I had my first app published!

With the company Gamsole in mind, I then contacted 88mph, which I had read about as being one of the most prominent seed funds in Africa. They replied that they were interested because unlike many startups applying for funding, mine was already making a profit through my published apps. The adventure had just begun and a year ago I left my small home town, Ife in western Nigeria, and moved to bustling Nairobi where 88mph is based.

What do you look for when hiring interns at Gamsole?

Nothing can beat a solid set of skills. This can be a challenge in Africa, but a professional portfolio profiling your experience and past projects is very important.

What do you love most about Nigeria?

It’s Dynamic. The youth there have this energy that they are just going to make things happen.

What does the future hold?

I would like to continue creating games based on African experiences that users from all over the world will love. Most of our 1.5 million downloads already come from other countries: Brazil 20% and China 12%. We are also expanding our advertising offering using in-app advertising and paid apps models.

What message do you have for aspiring developers?

There is no better time to be a developer in Africa. The market isn’t saturated and it’s full of possibilities. It’s like ‘super magic power in your hand’. Investors that are traditionally shy of backing local software developers are also seeing the potential. Remember, a great idea doesn’t make a great company. You need solid business fundamentals to get it off the ground and financial support most certainly helps. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with start-up accelerator 88mph and I’m pleased to hear that Microsoft’s Venture Partner Programme has expanded to Africa, selecting 88mph as its first African accelerator partner.

What do we mean when we say we see boundless potential in the people of Africa? To be boundless is to be limitless. Abundant. Infinite. To have potential is to have qualities and abilities that can be developed; that can lead to future successes. To have boundless potential must then be to have abundant abilities and endless opportunities for development.

Unfortunately, in Africa, opportunities for development are not endless. At least not yet. There is limitless talent, but more opportunities are still needed to develop it. Being on the continent for over 20 years, Microsoft is very familiar with Africa’s inherent talent and through our 4Afrika Initiative, we’re helping to ensure that Africa can continue to grow and create its own opportunities.

Today, at DEMO Africa, we unveiled a new commitment to support startups under the 4Afrika banner by entering into cooperation agreements with innovation hubs CcHub in Nigeria, DTBi in Tanzania and AfriLabs – a pan-African hub network spanning Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. Through these cooperations, we’re giving their communities access to:

Events and workshops on the latest Microsoft technologies for developers

The 4Afrika Internship and Volunteer programs, providing access to Microsoft mentors and experts as additional resources

In short, we’ll be a catalyst for young innovators to have much easier access to the tools and resources they need to fully develop their ideas. This builds upon our existing agreements with Kenya’s iHub and m:lab which were announced in March. As Eric Hersman, founder and manager of iHub said, “Microsoft is clearly a brand that developers and startups want to engage with and this cooperation enables us to provide tech community members with great programs that can help them develop innovative new software products, establish their businesses and reach new markets”.

It also builds on our news from last week, when we announced the expansion of the Microsoft Ventures partnership program into Africa, with 88mph as our first African accelerator partner. Microsoft Ventures is our global effort to offer the tools, resources, expertise and routes to market for startups, through partnerships with accelerators around the world.

I can imagine no better backdrop for this great momentum than DEMO Africa, which is built on the premise that startups in Africa are developing real-world solutions and are worthy of investment and global attention. As platinum sponsor, we’re partnering with fantastic organisations in Africa to get these startups seen and turn their ideas into realities. We don’t just want to encourage African innovation, we want to help accelerate it. And to do this, we’re providing each DEMO Africa finalist with free access to our global BizSpark program, which provides them with software, support, visibility and a community of mentors.

To have boundless potential means to have no boundaries to success. These cooperations are a strategic and crucial opportunity to help remove these boundaries and extend our support broadly to the African continent. Because when we say we see boundless potential in the people of Africa, we mean it. In every sense of the word.

Posted by Hennie Loubser, General Manager of Microsoft West East Central Africa and Indian Ocean Islands

It’s been a great 10 years for Microsoft in Ghana so far. We’ve seen tremendous growth in the country’s ICT sector, particularly its mobile and internet penetration rates, and our initiatives have reached over one million youth to date. As Microsoft now shifts its global focus to a devices and services offering, we want to continue to ensure that Ghana remains one of our critical investment markets. As part of this commitment, I’m excited to announce that we have appointed our first country manager in the region, and our first female country manager in Africa.

Otema Yirenkyi is a native Ghanaian with over 14 years of experience in ICT and an inspiring leadership vision. I managed to sit down with her and chat about her new role and what she hopes to see Ghana achieve in the future.

Welcome to Microsoft! Why are you excited to be joining the team?I feel privileged to lead the Microsoft business in Ghana. This is an exciting time in Ghana when the country is rapidly transforming both economically and socially. This offers an unprecedented opportunity to drive innovation, particularly in the area of mobile technologies.

What are your roles, responsibilities and goals as country manager in Ghana? As Country Manager for Ghana, I will lead the team to grow the Microsoft business. I will serve as a brand ambassador and evangelist for Microsoft technologies and I hope to inspire young people to create a culture of innovation driven by technology.

Your previous line of work has seen you quite involved in strategy and business development.What are your thoughts on encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa?I think once African entrepreneurs have increased access, affordable technologies and the ability to monetise innovative ideas, they will create solutions that solve many of the economic and social challenges confronting Africa

What advice would you give to young women looking to join the ICT industry – what challenges have you faced as a leader in ICT? I would work to dispel the notion that ICT is mostly for men. I encourage young women who studied in technical fields, as well as those who didn’t, to pursue a career in ICT. The industry offers many technical and non-technical options for women to have rewarding careers.

My challenges as a leader in technology have mostly been around how others might perceive a woman leader. But I have always overcome such obstacles by demonstrating that my position is based on my skills and capabilities.

Why are you passionate about technology and the ICT sector? I love problem solving and have always been fascinated with how technology solves so many challenges. . I love how on a personal level it makes my life so much easier and how on a global level provides the tools that enable us to solve problems or explore the boundaries of some of life’s bigger challenges.

When did you first realize your passion for technology? What was the first piece of technology you ever owned? In High School we had a computer lab and I loved spending time there, to learn more and tinker with the machines. My parents, realising that I loved computers, bought me my first PC and it made me one of the most popular girls in my school.

What are your thoughts on the state of technology and ICT skills in Africa? Are there any interesting market trends in your region? I think there is a skills and access gap in Africa. Given the right investments in providing access and affordable technologies, that gap can be closed. I think the mobile platform offers, for the first time, the opportunity to leapfrog and close the digital divide.

What qualifications do you hold? Why did you choose to study these subject fields? I have a BSc from Cornell University in Industrial and Labor Relations and an MA in Development Studies. I wanted to be a labour /employment lawyer but once I started taking African Studies courses I was inspired to commit myself to a career that would enable Africa’s economic development. I spent an internship at the United Nations in New York and in Kenya, and then decided to pursue a Masters in Development Studies. After leaving school I kept wondering how I would marry my love for technology and passion for Africa, so joined the ICT industry and have worked in a number of African countries ever since.

What are your hobbies and interests? I love the arts, particularly going to museums and the theatre. I also write and perform poetry. I love travelling and learning about new cultures. I also enjoy riding my bike and hiking. I have a real commitment to the community and express that through a number of mentorship programs and the mentoring of youth.

What do you love most about Ghana? I love the vibrancy of Ghana, the richness of the food and the energy of the people – striving towards their dreams and always smiling. This may seem clichéd but Ghanaians are some of the friendliest people I know!

By Mteto Nyati, Managing Director of Microsoft South Africa and Vice Chair of 4Afrika Advisory Council

Did you know that in Mo Ibrahim’s foundation’s 2012 report, African Youths: Fulfilling the Potential, it was indicated that in less than three generations, 41% of the world’s youth will be African? An exciting yet daunting challenge!

When I was appointed as the Vice Chair of the 4Afrika Advisory Council in October last year, I immediately knew I wanted to bring strong and influential youth voices on board. The Advisory Council is tasked with aligning our 4Afrika Initiative to broader African development goals. One of Africa and 4Afrika’s goals is to empower and enable African youth so that, in three generation’s time, the continent will be a strong economic competitor on the global stage. The best way for us to sincerely meet this goal is hear and learn from the youth themselves.

And so today, I’m proud to announce four highly influential and innovative young leaders who have been added to the Council. These leaders are going to make the critical young voices of Africa heard, and they are going to help us solve the issues most relevant to young people in Africa. I’m humbled to be working with them. I’m inspired by their stories. And I’m excited about the futures they are going to create.

Akaliza Keza Gara - Rwanda

I’m really looking forward to joining the 4Afrika Advisory Council. I hope to help the 4Afrika Initiative better understand my country. I hope to share the needs that exist here, as well as the opportunities to use technology to impact people’s lives.

After noticing that women in Rwanda weren’t encouraged to study ICT, Akaliza set out to make a difference. She studied Multimedia Technology & Design in university and soon after formed her own company, Shaking Sun, which specialises in graphic design, animation and website development. She now uses her expertise to mentor at kLab and Girls in ICT Rwanda, where she encourages women to pursue careers in ICT and shares key insights on being a tech entrepreneur in Africa.

“When it comes to youth issues in Africa, female empowerment, access to quality education, unemployment and the stereotypes about African youth are most important to me. I find that most of the schools do not teach skills that are valuable in the market. I hope to encourage young people, who have Internet access, to take advantage of the many free online courses and keep up-to-date with industry trends and developments.”

I am also a huge promoter of entrepreneurship. There are simply not enough jobs to employ all of us, so it's important that we create our own. It’s also so important for us to tell our stories. I’m an avid blogger and I would encourage all African youth to start blogging and in that way open the world, and ourselves, to the diversity of our continent.”

Tayeb Sbihi – Morocco

I’m very excited to be joining the council as a youth leader. As a telecommunications professional, I hope to bring affordable broadband access to the youth in Africa. I believe that Internet access will enhance the development of Africa and improve its competitiveness.

Tayeb has a B.S.c, M.Sc and MBA degree all to his name, and is also the founder of B2N Consulting. His company provides the testing, evaluation and optimisation of telecom infrastructure, which means Tayeb is very passionate about bringing universal and quality internet access to Africa.

“Connectivity is one of the solutions and tools that can help us solve prominent issues in Africa. We can reduce illiteracy through e-Learning programmes. We can give the youth a means to speak and share their issues. We can enhance creativity. And we can provide a platform for young Africans to broadcast local solutions and innovations. All of this will make our competitiveness as a continent much higher.”

Olivia Mukham - Cameroon

As a youth council member, I hope to bring light to Africa’s youth aspirations, ambitions and current actions. I also hope to bring my various networks within Cameroon and from more than 20 countries in Africa to the 4Afrika Initiative and action plan.

A self-described ‘Solutionneur’, Olivia has always been passionate about searching for solutions and solving local problems within her community. When she was just a first-year student, she initiated her own water addition project, which solved water-borne diseases such as cholera. The project now provides clean water access to over 5 000 villagers. Olivia also formed Harambe Cameroon, an NGO with the goal of encouraging youths to transform their challenges into opportunities. On top of this, she co-founded Solutionneurs SARL, a company which uses the talented youth of Harambe Cameroon to provide locally-relevant micro-services.

“I look forward to encouraging more and more African youths to be solutions-driven. I think it’s very ironic that we have many mundane and resolvable problems that hamper our standard of living on a daily basis. I hope to encourage the youth of Africa to take action and solve problems in their communities. The zeal of many youths today is impressive, and I know they’re ready to take these challenges on.”

Chude Jideonwo – Nigeria

I’m most looking forward to being part of a committed group of African leaders, who are working hard to open up access to opportunities and be part of the transformation story for the continent and its people. 4Afrika has a huge potential to make a lasting impact, and it’s exciting to be part of that process.

Chude is many great things: A lawyer, award-winning journalist, media entrepreneur and youth development expert. He is also the co-founder and managing partner of RED, and the founder of Enough is Enough Nigeria. As one of Forbes’ 30 Best Young African Entrepreneurs, Chude knows all about jobs and opportunities – and is passionate about creating these for the youth of Africa.

“The challenges young people face continue to evolve. As a youth council member, I hope to achieve more access, more open doors and more opportunities. I’m always asking myself: How can we engage young Africans through and for enterprise, connecting them with opportunities that ensure they create value for themselves and their countries? I am obsessed with how we can use the media to drive this African imperative. So media, youth and opportunities – that’s the intersection I hope to make a difference in.”

The four new youth council members are currently in Abidjan, where they are meeting in-person with the 4Afrika team for their mid-year meeting. For updates on this inspirational group, follow us on Twitter or on Facebook.

Whenever we come across an entrepreneur looking to start a business in Africa, our first piece of advice is this: Develop solutions relevant to Africa. At Microsoft, we’re always working to identify and engage with promising startups – startups who not only have burning ideas, but who have gone beyond these ideas and developed innovative solutions right here in Africa.

Ezana Raswork’s father had some new puppies that he wanted to get immunised. But he couldn’t find contact information for a local vet who did house calls. That’s when Ezana, who was working at the Yellow Pages in Canada, decided to work on a business idea that would make it simple for mobile consumers to find services in Africa.

“I found that 85% of Kenyans experienced frustration trying to find local information at least once a week,” says Ezana. “This problem seemed so solve-able to me, so we developed Africa 118. Here, we work to build the best, most up-to-date and accurate database, where users can get real-time access to the services they need.”

To use Africa 118, users call an agent at one of the relevant mobile partners, who then sends an SMS back to the caller with the contact information they’re looking for. And a search like this only costs 20 Kenyan shillings.

“We’ve become experts in identifying the best services, getting the right information first time and ensuring there are no duplications. Websites often have inaccurate information, so it’s our job to step in and contact local businesses, to make sure we provide the most up-to-date information. And we’re proud to say we have an eight to nine out of 10 satisfaction rate. Our users come back and have been known to use the service up to 10 times a month.”

Going forward, Africa 118 hopes to make their services available across a wider variety of platforms. “We’re excited about our future with Microsoft, who are helping us develop an online platform and app for our service. Our vision is to give users access to an accurate database through whichever platform they prefer – be it through an SMS or an app.”

Tonee Ndungu’s father has always been invested in African education. In 2007, he started a nursery school for his local community, providing classrooms, meals, teachers and uniforms – all at his own investment. But he hit a snag when it came to the unbelievably high cost of school textbooks. So one day in 2012, over a cup of tea with his son, Kytabu was born.

“Kytabu is a textbook encryption and subscription system,” explains Tonee. “Users can rent an entire textbook, or selections of the book, for any period of time – from an hour to a year – using a mobile money platform.”

To use Kytabu, a user purchases the service and receives a memory card preloaded with every book in the Kenyan education curriculum. They also receive a SIM card that allows the app to be updated over cellular data. The whole application runs on a Windows tablet, or off a dongle for Windows 8 desktops, where users can enjoy textbooks, audio books, learning games, virtual classrooms, past tests and exams, as well as an app store.

“The cost of each textbook is subsidised by as much as 20% once it is digitised. The renting concept allows you to rent a page for as little as six Kenyan cents per day. This solves the access, affordability and cost challenge – translating into a 60% overall saving.”

Kytabu’s goal is for the developing world to have universal access to relevant learning material. “There are three main challenges to this” explains Tonee. “Infrastructure, cost implications and textbook lifecycles. Through a micro SD for storage, a dongle or tablet as a function device, a SIM card as a communication portal, and the leasing of content on micropayments, we hope to accelerate this change in the next decade.”

Kaakpema ‘KP’ Yelpaala had been living in East Africa for five years, when he became aware of the growth of mobile and the opportunities it offered. He also saw a thriving and growing SME sector – but not too many businesses focused on them. So, he put this opportunity and this challenge together and created access.mobile.

“access.mobile provides high-quality and customised mobile technology solutions to a wide range of enterprises,” explains KP. “We’re helping enterprises – large and small and across various sectors – to adopt and integrate technology by digitising their operations. Our technology drives efficiency, provides key business insights and helps enterprises to be more profitable. We’re not just building tech. We’re providing relevant solutions that address wants and needs – and ultimately create value.”

What’s interesting is that access.mobile has a different story to most tech startups. It wasn’t born out of a business plan. It was born, in part, out of an encounter with a coffee exporter in rural Rwanda.

“I was chatting to a coffee exporter and I saw his process of working with farmers was all paper- and cash- based. I kept wondering how I could digitise his process. So we built him a mobile app that tracked his transactions and gave him insights into his flow and inventory. And access.mobile just grew from there. Today we carry a 90% customer satisfaction rate, and this is from people who had previously just been using Microsoft Excel, at best.”

At the heart of this business is an interest in SMEs and technology access, which has led to a great synergy with Microsoft. “There are mutual interests and priorities between 4Afrika and access.mobile. Microsoft has been helping us to build on our small successes in East Africa and to think about scaling across Africa. They’re giving us access to key people who are helping us pursue a broader African vision.”

Abiola Olaniran was a computer science and mathematics student, with a passion for the mobile space in Africa. After noticing that most people use their devices for gaming, he started Gamsole – a mobile game production company. 11 weeks into its launch, Gamsole had over 1 000 000 game downloads. Fast forward five years and Abiola is Nigeria’s highest paid Windows Game developer.

“Human desire for entertainment is undying, and that’s what we hope to satisfy at Gamsole,” says Gamsole CEO Abiola. “On an everyday basis, millions of people are experiencing little boring moments: the long queue at the supermarket, the traffic, a 13-hour flight. Apart from providing the entertainment factor for scenarios like this, mobile gaming also serves as a great tool for education.”

The secret behind Gamsole’s success is simple: They listen to their audience. “Apart from the fact that we make quality casual games, we listen to our users’ demand. For instance, every now and then we get requests from our Facebook fans for games they would like us to create. Some of these people were on iOs or Android phones before switching to a Windows Phone, and they’re now looking for similar gameplay on their new device”.

Although he peaked early, Abiola only has plans to sustain his momentum. “Gamsole is operating on the fastest growing mobile platform in the world. And we hope to move along with this growth.”

It was during a work day when Hugo Obi was speaking to his colleagues at a gaming company in Nigeria. They all had things they wanted to buy, yet simply couldn’t afford – mostly due to a lack of access to funds. So imagine a company that helped you save towards them?

“Save & Buy is all about helping you create a savings plans for specific products you want to buy online,” explains Toni Osibodu, Hugo’s co-founder and business partner. “So while you’re shopping online, you click the Save & Buy button and start a savings plan. You select your duration, put down a small deposit and receive reminders of when to deposit money into your Save & Buy account. Once you’ve paid the full amount, the retailer sends your product to you”.

Save & Buy was only founded in July 2013, but under their CEO Hugo have already made huge progress. “We’re now looking at implementing new features, such as saving towards virtual products like birthdays or holidays. Part of this will include a group save feature, so that friends and family can work towards a common goal. Microsoft is helping us here by giving us access to world-class servers, so that we’ll have a stable and reliable platform for the increased traffic.”

Save & Buy are in a good place and their growth is definitely worth keeping an eye on. “Things are moving quickly for us. We were fortunate to have made the right connections fast. We’ve got big expansion plans and ambitions, and hope to be in at least three African countries in the next three years.”

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It’s clear that the future is nothing but bright for these five African startups. We at Microsoft are proud and privileged to be a part of their journey. The 4Afrika innovation grant programme will be providing each startup with financial backing, technical support and mentorship. We look forward to seeing them inspiring and influencing future developers and entrepreneurs in Africa, so that together, we can make Africa the global competitor it is destined to be.

By Fernando de Sousa, General Manager of Africa Initiatives at Microsoft

Africa is home to some of the fastest growing mobile phone penetration rates in the world. With a liberalized telecommunications sector and increasing service affordability, mobile penetration in sub-Saharan Africa alone has increased 44% since 2000, according to the GSM Association (GSMA). As a result, a great deal of Africa’s technology innovation today is taking place on mobile platforms. Although some infrastructural gaps remain, Africans are mobile-savvy and are eager to use the best quality devices. At the same time, Africa is becoming a net producer of technology and already under our 4Afrika banner, we have seen over 100 Windows Phone apps being created per month across the continent.

Last month, I was invited speak at the GSMA’s Mobile for Development conference in Cape Town. This topic of mobile for development in Africa is of particular interest to me and in line with the goals of our 4Afrika Initiative. My message: An affordable phone alone is not enough. We believe that the focus should be on providing Africans with affordable and reliable access to applications or services that enable them to trade, to learn and to grow their businesses in ways that result in economic growth and ultimately a better quality of life.

To read more about how mobile can be a catalyst for economic growth click here

Dele has recently taken up the position of Server and Tools Business Group Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa. Previously, he was the Developer Platform Evangelism Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa. Here, he shares his thoughts on life, Africa and why he loves his job.

How long have you been at Microsoft?

I’ve been at Microsoft for 13 years! This is my seventh role at the company. My previous roles have spanned across our Services Group, Enterprise Group and Business Group.

Firstly, can you tell us what the Servers and Tools Business Group actually is – what does it mean and why is it relevant IN Africa?

The MicrosoftServer and Tools Group develops, markets and supports software and services designed to help companies be more productive at every level – from the individual, to the team, to the whole organisation. The products that fall under this umbrella include technologies such as Windows Server, Windows Azure, SQL Server, System Center our Develop Tools (Visual Studio) and Windows Intune. While each of these products plays different roles for the customers, the commonalities between the products ensure that customers have a consistent experience when using the products with the end result being an increase in resource efficiency. With more African companies wanting to increase their competitiveness and more companies investing in Africa than ever before, being effective and streamlined remains a top priority for business stakeholders. For African SMEs and businesses that can’t afford to implement IT infrastructure, moving to the cloud is especially advantageous.

What are your goals as Lead of Server & Tools?

My goal is to provide economical solutions to our customers to encourage adoption of our products, and to bring the cloud to businesses across sub-Saharan Africa.

What was your highlight of serving as the Developer Platforms Director for Sub-Saharan Africa and Indian Ocean islands? How long did you serve in this role?

I was in the role for two and a

half years. It’s hard to single out one highlight as there have been so many. The biggest ones have definitely been providing students, startups and developers with the opportunities to access a global market, and seeing the impact that we have on the continent, especially in academia. Travelling to so many different African countries and getting the chance to interact with some of the brightest developers in Africa is also definitely something I’m thankful I had the opportunity to do! Also the partnership with the 4Afrika initiative has made our impact stick and be long term as we are seen larger as a strategic advisor on this topic.

Do you still do any work in the development field?

Yes, I do. In my current role, I still do some things that I did in my previous role as Developer and Platform Evangelist. Only now I tend to work more directly with enterprises and businesses when it comes to using apps and leveraging the cloud, rather than directly to developers as I did in the past. I also will have more interactions with IT Professionals as in our market they sometimes wear the developer hat as well plus advocacy for the cloud via our Windows Azure platform.

What does your new role entail?

As the Server and Tools Business Group Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, I’m responsible for the marketing, sales, and deployment strategy of our products, for enterprise, and small and medium customers. I’m really excited to work with our SME customers because they are the future of the continent’s economic growth and development. They account for 50% of employment in Africa and add 20% to its collective GDP. These companies face a unique set of challenges and part of my role will be to help them find the best solutions possible.

What did you study, and why?

My first interest was to study Medicine but I ended up changing my major and studied Computer Science. I was always interested in the sciences – both natural science and physical science. I loved gadgets and tools and had a passion for software. So it seemed like the best fit for me!

What’s the first piece of technology you ever owned?

A TV video game console.

What are your hobbies?

I love to travel, I love sports of all kinds, and I love to sing. My main sports are Golf, Basketball, American Football and Soccer. Passionate about the Washington Wizards, Redskins and Arsenal J

What is your life philosophy?

One of the things I’ve always believed is that nobody is going to hand you anything in life. You have to go and grab it! I believe in being fiercely independent, believing in yourself and going out and getting what you need to be happy/successful.

Why do you love Africa?

I was born in the US and spent most of my life in the US. Both my parents are from Nigeria and I always felt close to the country through my heritage. I’ve always been fascinated by the vast opportunities in Africa. My relocation to Nigeria is my way of ‘giving back’ to the country and the continent that I’m so proud of. That’s why I really enjoy the travelling aspect of my job, as I get to experience the diversity that makes up Africa, and I have the opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise with people from many different countries.

I must have the best job at Microsoft. I get to experience the passion of young people using technology every day, and how a little imagination can solve seemingly impossible problems. Like this year’s Imagine Cup winners of the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Award,Team Code 8 of Uganda, who developed a Windows app called Matibabu that diagnoses malaria without pricking a body part! By attaching a Kinect sensor to your finger, your malaria status is fed into your smartphone within seconds, and for free! From the heart of Africa, here is an innovation that has the potential to save lives all over the world.

Team Code 8 truly deserves their success, and their hard work and dedication is inspiring. I caught up with them after the Imagine Cup World Finals in St. Petersburg and we talked about some of their competition highlights. "Getting to present our project to Matt Smith, who is the famous doctor from BBC’s Doctor Who, is a definite highlight,” says Josiah Kavuma, the team’s mentor.

When asked how it felt to win, Josiah beams at the memory. “It was awesome, we could not stop smiling. It’s one of the best moments we shared as a team.”

We also chatted about the apps presented at the competition that inspired us most. Team Code 8’s favourite was SoundSYNK, developed by the UK’s Team Colinked, which is an app that enables the synchronisation of music playback between multiple Windows devices in perfect harmony, essentially creating a stereo sound system. “The effect is mindblowing,” says Josiah.

My personal favourite was the Portuguese team’s For a Better World app, which uses a portable device to determine a person’s blood type in about five minutes - no surprise that it won the World Citizenship Award.

In addition to the USD 12 000 prize, Team Code 8 will take away lifelong memories from participating in the competition - networking with peers, experiencing a world-class city, and being exposed to the best technology ideas in the world. The team’s success will no doubt impact aspiring developers in Uganda and other African countries, and to all the local students out there, I say don’t let your circumstances define you. Be inspired by what you see around you. Be the new Africa!

I look forward to seeing more local students coming up with inventions that will positively impact millions of people on the continent, and the world. Next year, I believe e-commerce will be the next big thing in app development, for it has the potential to solve the financial inclusion problem in many parts of Africa - just look at the success of Mpesa.

But for now, keep your eye on the Windows store for new, life-changing apps every day. And in a few weeks, Matibabu will be available for download!

By Mteto Nyati, Vice Chair of the 4Afrika Advisory Council and MD of Microsoft South Africa

When we launched the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative in February this year, we set out to improve Africa’s economic competitiveness. Key to this is our goal of getting one million SMEs online in three years, and it as my honour to be in Johannesburg today to share some details on how we’re going to do that.

Why is this such a big priority for us? Well, for SMEs, going online opens up enormous opportunities. Tech-savvy SMEs created twice as many new jobs and grew revenues 15 percentage points faster over the past three years than SMEs using little technology, according to a study we commissioned with the Boston Consulting Group.

As a company, we’ve recognised that addressing Africa’s employment crisis is not only about enabling unemployed people to work for a wage, but about helping aspiring entrepreneurs create small businesses that create jobs and foster locally relevant innovation. With SMEs representing over 90 percent of private business in Africa and contributing more than 50 percent of employment and GDP – their success is paramount to the overall performance of local economies.

Today, we have furthered our commitment to the small business sector by launching our first SME hub, in South Africa. This new online hub – which can be found at southafrica.biz4afrika.com – is a collaboration between Microsoft, Vodacom, Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) and the National Small Business Chamber and is designed to bring a range of free and highly relevant products and services to SMEs in South Africa. For the first year, this includes helping SMEs get their businesses online, by providing a free .co.za domain, a free website and free email and collaboration tools.

In addition, Microsoft—with support from the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT-SETA) and Solver Consulting—will also place one 4Afrika intern in each of the SEDA’s 43 centres across the country. Four additional 4Afrika interns will also support SME queries online, where they will receive on-the-job training on technology, connectivity, retail and more. The goal is for these interns to become SME business and technology advisors in the communities where they are directly needed.

The challenges facing SMEs

Microsoft has always had a strong heritage of supporting entrepreneurs. We recognise their crucial role in the global economy, and because we understand their challenges and needs, we believe we’re in a good position to help them find solutions.

We understand that across the world, many SMEs don’t have access to modern technology or even to broadband networks. They are using old and less efficient hardware and software, which negatively impacts their productivity and relevance in an increasingly digital world. Just having a website can radically increase a SME’s chances of success, and internet access opens up new borders and markets to help them acquire new customers. The range of cloud-based tools and services we’re offering on the hub will give SMEs easy and cost-effective access to the modern technology they need to operate at their maximum potential.

Technology can level the playing field for small businesses, helping them compete against much larger players.

Embracing new tools

SMEs are quick to embrace new tools. And so, with this new SME hub, we look forward to helping them succeed in the first three to five years of their lives – the most challenging and vulnerable time for most SMEs.

The result of more SMEs surviving and become successful will be increased job creation and economic development. In doing this, we’re not only investing in local communities, but we’re also supporting the South African government’s national priority of creating jobs, growing skills and giving people meaningful work.

As 4Afrika works to get one million SMEs online by 2016, I’m excited to see new job opportunities open up, and see this dynamic sector use the power of the internet to push new boundaries. This hub in South Africa is only the first of many country-specific hubs we’ll open in the coming months. We’re excited to bring these resources to bear for SMEs and look forward to the amazing things we know they’ll do for their local economies.

Visit the hub

If you’re an SME in South Africa who is interested in working with tools and resources from Microsoft and other partners, we encourage you to visit the new hub here: southafrica.biz4afrika.com

By Daniel Kamau, Anti-Piracy Director for Microsoft West East & Central Africa and Indian Ocean Islands

When I say ‘Intellectual Property’, what do you think of? Copyright laws? Trademarks? Patents? Those are all big legal words. Words that don’t sound like they really make an impact on any of us.

But what if I told you to think about local artists. Inventors. Musicians. Think about creative human beings with imaginative and inspired ideas – ideas that foster African innovation and establish Africa as a strong economic competitor on the global stage.

A threat to intellectual property (IP) is a threat to African economic development. Especially when Africa has an average software piracy rate of 80% -- making it one of the most affected continents in the world.

Artists asking for recognition

I recently spoke to Mauritian artist and singer, Jean-Jacques Arjoon, about music piracy. Arjoon has been in the African music industry for 17 years and has seen it evolve from analogue to digital. For him, one of the biggest IP threats is the uploading and sharing capabilities offered by the online space.

“Writing is a form of expression and it takes an average of four months to create a song – maybe even four years for an album,” he explains. “When people upload and share work online, no licence fee is provided for by the producers and other IP owners. This has an impact on the music industry, as people no longer buy works produced by authors and IP owners in official music shops.”

“People need to be recognised in monetary terms for the time and effort they are putting into their work. They need funds to survive and keep providing music to their fans. If we want the music industry to last and be an economic backbone that keeps GDP on an upward curve, an absorber of unemployment and social crisis, and a creator of a happy population through entertainment, we need to protect IP rights.”

IP protection

IP protection gives small businesses and individuals the confidence they need to develop their ideas. It’s a promise that their time, effort and money will be protected and result in growth and success. For startups, securing investment and funding often depends on how well their IP is protected, because investors aren’t going to plug resources into an idea that could be quickly stolen or copied.

A challenge in Africa is that most people do support IP legislation and believe that inventors should be rewarded. However, they make use of pirated music, software, movies and other ‘fake’ goods, unaware that what they are doing is illegal.

If we want to see Africa thrive and become the economic competitor we know it can be, we have to protect our local talent – our musicians, artists and great thinkers. At Microsoft, we are deeply committed to IP protection. We have an important role to play in educating the public on IP rights and in partnering with governments to help them introduce and implement the right laws. It is up to us all to ensure that businesses – big or small – know that they have the opportunity to see their ideas become a reality.

If you are unsure whether or not you are buying fake software or goods, visit our website: How-to-Tell.

As leading Harvard Professor, Michael Porter, once said: “Innovation is the central issue to economic prosperity.” At Microsoft we couldn’t agree more, which is why one of our goals is to empower Africans to make the most of, and monetize their own business ideas. There is certainly no shortage of brilliant ideas on the continent, but no matter how bright they burn, they require time, investment, and the right tools to become a blazing, fully-fledged business.

This is why we are so excited to announce that Microsoft’s Ventures partnership program is expanding into Africa, starting in Kenya. Microsoft Ventures was created to give startups a leg-up by providing access to tools, technology and training. Kenya is quickly being recognised as an innovation hub, particularly in the mobility space. It’s been reported that there are 74 mobile phones for every 100 Kenyans and, of those who access the internet, 99% do it via a mobile device.

Expanded to Africa as part of our 4Afrika Initiative, Microsoft Ventures speaks to our belief that technology can accelerate growth for Africa, and Africa can also accelerate technology for the world. Around the world, Microsoft Ventures selects strategic accelerator partners in each region to provide local market expertise. For our venture into Kenya, we’ve selected 88mph for its proven track record in helping local entrepreneurs turn ideas into thriving businesses. Since opening up in July 2011 the company has already graduated 32 startups. That equals nearly one success story for every month they’ve been in operation!

One of my favourite stories and a prime example of what we hope to achieve with this partnership, is a company called Gamsole, started by Nigeria’s own Abiola Olaniram. Abiola had a vision of creating his own tech company, capitalising on the growing mobile space and people’s love of entertainment in Africa and all over the world. Funded by 88mph and Microsoft’s BizSpark program, he started developing Windows Games and is now the highest paid Windows game developer in Africa, with over 1.5 million downloads. This is just one example. You can read about dozens more on the Microsoft Ventures website.

We want to remove as many barriers as we can to enabling a startup to thrive. The program is simple: those who are interested can apply to an immersive 3-6 monthaccelerator program. The only requirements are a full-time founding team and less than $1 million raised. Qualifying companies will have access to mentors, technical and design experts, development tools and key resources.

Ultimately, we want to see a thriving African startup ecosystem contributing to Africa’s economic development and competitiveness on a global scale. We feel strongly that by partnering with 88mph we are helping to pave the way to a better, stronger future.

Just over a year ago we launched Microsoft 4Afrika, an Initiativedesigned to accelerate Africa’s economic competitiveness by investing in Africa’s youth and small and medium businesses in three areas - skills, innovation, and access to affordable smart devices. From the start, we recognized that partnerships with likeminded organizations were critical to the success of this initiative. One of our first such partnerships is a strategic cooperation agreement with theiHub in Nairobi and m:lab East Africa, which in the past year has together provided technical training to 520 startups, SMEs, entrepreneurs, & developers – helping them become fully fledged businesses. Over the past year we have entered into similar agreements with CcHUB in Nigeria, DTBi in Tanzania and AfriLabs, the pan-African hub network.

If you’ve been a closer follower of the African innovation landscape, you will realize there has been a shift in recent years from investors seeking innovative solutions from established independent software vendors toward investing more aggressively in developers and start-ups. Why? They are innately innovative, nimble, have potential for tremendous growth, and are using one-of-a-kind solutions to address local problems.

So if you’re an innovative startup or a developer with big ideas, here are my top reasons for signing up with an innovation Hub– also, check out the video here for more!

1. Networking

We all know the saying, ‘It’s not what you know, but who you know’, often quoted to illustrate the importance of networking. There is great truth in this, especially when it comes to the exciting and dynamic technology industry. And there is no better place to do this than at the vibrant iHub in Nairobi. According to its founder, Erik Hersman, “The iHub’s mission is to catalyze and grow the Kenyan tech community. We do this by connecting people, supporting startups and surfacing valuable information to the community, whether they’re engineers, web designers, investors, government or academia. At our core, we believe that just by putting smart people in a room, good things happen. This has been proved true over and over again for four years now, it is a place where companies spring up, products are funded, people get connected and where innovation thrives. The iHub was born of an idea by the community, and it should be no surprise that it grows due to that same community’s drive and ambition.”

2. Support and resources

Innovation hubs provide direct access to companies like Microsoft, meaning that developers get access not only to a range of tools to help them develop their products, but one-on-one time with experts that provide invaluable feedback and strategic guidance. For example, Microsoft Developer Evangelist and , John Kimani @kimanigakingo on Twitter is at the iHub every Wednesday to provide technical support to developers and answer their questions. And the best thing about people like John is that they are not just there to do their ‘job’ – they’re genuinely passionate about helping people and seeing ideas turned into reality.

One great example of how this kind of support can help developers, comes from Catherine Kiguru, Chief Innovator of Ukall Limited. Catherine is a successful developer who launched her own startup focused on providing mobile HR solutions that address the challenges that business face who employ large and diverse workforces in multiple and often remote sites. She says the collaborative environment and the support she received from Microsoft, ranging from mentorship to resources and testing, have been instrumental to her success. “(The support from Microsoft) has been very instrumental, both in mentorship and in providing us with the right working environment… and in providing us with the resources we actually needed to develop the product and get it out.”

3. Motivation and inspiration

Coding way into the night at your desk all alone in the dark isn’t very glamorous or motivating. Far more appealing is sitting in a trendy, light and colourful space surrounded by like-minded people and everything you could possibly need to be successful. From its bustling coffee shop to foosball table, bean bags, and outside canteen area, the iHub also enables people to maintain some form of social life while they make their development dreams come true. And, there’s a strong chance that by socializing with some of the greatest tech brains around, they’ll walk away with enough inspiration to burn the midnight oil back at home – even if it is at a drab desk, in the dark!

We fiercely believe in the potential of African innovations, and the developers, entrepreneurs, and youth that are driving them, which is why we’ve chosen to support startups by working with innovation hubs. In addition, we believe that open spaces for innovation and collaboration can help nurture this potential, which is tightly aligned with 4Afrika’s goal of helping accelerate Africa’s economic development and improve its global competitiveness.

So, if you are in Kenya and these reasons sound like good ones to you – or if you need more convincing – I urge you to get down to the iHub and see what the space has to offer (you can also follow iHub on Twitter here). And if you aren’t in Kenya, find out more about an innovation hub in your country at the following links:

When we think about technology in education, we don’t just think about putting devices into the hands of teachers and students. We think beyond it. We think about education, training and infrastructure – vital investments needed to support the effective integration of ICT into the classroom. We want to deliver experiences that students and educators love. And so hardware isn’t the main priority. A relevant, valuable and practical education is.

With that in mind, today Microsoft, Intel and the Kenya Private Schools Association have all joined forces to launch the 4Afrika Youth Device Pilot Program in Kenya. We’ve set out to create a bundle offering, to provide affordable devices, educational applications, online services, affordable data plans and smart financing to Kenyan learning institutions. This forms part of our Microsoft 4Afrika Youth Initiative, which was unveiled last year to provide scholarships, fellowships and internship opportunities to thousands of African youth.

Here’s how the Program works.

Affordable devices The 4Afrika Youth Device Program will be providing a range of affordable devices to learning institutions. These devices include smartphones, tablets, laptops, PCs and the Intel Classmate. Intel Corporation East Africa, together with Mitsumi Computer Garage, have played a huge role in designing customised, rugged devices for this Program. The devices are water-resistant, dust-resistant and built to fit a classroom setting, and are also optimised for the provision of digital textbooks with Skype installed, to enable students and teachers to collaborate between classrooms and from home. "The devices all come with Intel® Education Software, a suite of eLearning tools including the newly launched Intel Explore and Learn, designed to promote deeper engagement with content, plus apps that enable science exploration, data analysis and promote creativity," says Alex Twinomugisha, Business Development Manager for Intel Corporation East Africa.

Educational applications Each device in this Program will come pre-loaded with the latest versions of Windows 8.1, Windows Phone 8.1 and the cloud-based Office 365 suite, which includes Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. In addition to this, each device will have a range of educational applications, games and digital books installed, including:

TrainingIn addition to affordable devices, Microsoft and Intel will be training educators on how best to integrate technology into their classrooms. This will be done through the Intel Teach program – a series of courses designed to help educators teach critical digital skills – and Microsoft’s Teach with Technology course, which leads to the Microsoft Certified Educator Accreditation.

Infrastructure Bandwidth is a top ICT priority, and so each user in our Program will be provided with affordable and tailored data packages from Safaricom. These include 5GB and 10GB bundles for PCs and laptops, to ensure teachers and students stay connected.

With regards to financing for Kenyan institutions, bank loans and contributions will be made available from Equity Bank and M-Changa, a mobile money-based way to contribute towards the purchase of devices.

We’re so excited to be launching this 4Afrika Youth Device Program, and to be supporting efforts in e-Learning. Based on the success of this pilot in Kenya, we hope to soon extend the Program to South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt. There are 209 million students and 6.7 million educators across Africa. Our goal is to offer affordable devices, educational applications and online services to as many as possible, through strategic cost ownership, education partner ecosystem and training support.

By Mteto Nyati, MD of Microsoft South Africa and Vice Chair of the 4Afrika Advisory Council

Last Friday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, I was honored to take on an additional role and responsibility as vice-chair of our new 4Afrika Advisory Council, led by His Excellency, Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania. The first meeting of our Council brought together 10 prominent business and thought leaders from across Africa who have all accepted to help us shape our strategy around the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative.

At Microsoft, we strongly believe in the collective wisdom of a group and the value of outside perspective, which is why we invited these distinguished influencers to establish the Council. The mission: to ensure that the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative always remains relevant for Africans and does in fact help the continent become and remain globally competitive for the benefit of the African people. The Council will meet in-person twice yearly in different locations and hold regional meetings at other times throughout the year.

It was important to us that our Council truly represent the diversity of Africa – geographic, age, gender and a broad range of industries which stand to benefit from technology. It is that very diversity that is so core to Africa’s allure and potential.

Council members therefore include the likes of Senegalese Mariam Jamme, CEO of SpotOne Global Solutions and co-founder of Africa Gathering, the first global platform bringing together entrepreneurs and others to share ideas about development in Africa. We also have technology innovator, development activist and World Economic Forum member, Bright Simons, who as President of the mPedigree Network invented a system that empowers consumers to instantly verify whether their medicines are safe and not counterfeit. For the full list of the Council members, see bottom of the blog or Click here.

With such a diverse and distinguished group, the conversation at our first meeting was lively and insightful. Topics ranged from how to spur local innovation, to economic growth and urban development. Leading the agenda was the topic of how to fuel the potential of Africa’s youth. The continent is home to the top ten youngest populations in the world, and according to the World Bank, there are 200 million people aged between 15 and 24 years on the continent, comprising more than 20% of the total population. An even bigger challenge is that youth make up 37% percent of the working-age population, but 60% of the total unemployed.

In the coming weeks, we will also add four African youth leaders to the Council because we want to make certain that we are really listening to and understanding the needs and wishes of this critical demographic. We look forward to introducing those new Council members soon, and to working together as a full Council to continually push forward the agenda of the 4Afrika Initiative to accelerate economic development and improve African competitiveness.

By Djam Bakhshandegi, Corporate Citizenship and Partners in Learning West East Central Africa & Indian Ocean Islands

On the 10th of September 2013, Microsoft’s flagship education programme, Partners in Learning (PiL), celebrated its 10 year anniversary. We celebrated 10 years of helping educators and students connect, collaborate, create and share. 10 years of bringing tools and technology that teach critical 21st century skills. And 10 years of providing educators with the resources that help them do what they do best – growing young minds.

PiL in Africa

Although PiL is a global initiative, it has held a particularly relevant – and special – place in Africa. African countries have recognised the need to prepare their youth for the 21st century. ICT skills, research, innovation and problem-solving are increasingly seen as vital to the continent’s sustainable social and economic success.

African countries have also recognised the potential of their youth. Microsoft sees this potential and has created engaging youth focused initiatives, including Imagine Cup, AppFactory and Innovate4Good. This dynamic capacity, coupled with the necessary skills, has proven that this continent can indeed be a global competitor in the field of innovation. However, for many African schools, access to devices and the ever-changing technology landscape still remain a challenge.

Through PiL, we have worked with African governments, school leaders and teachers to keep up-to-date with technology. We have integrated technology into the classroom in a meaningful way – by introducing not just devices, but mentorship, time and support. Together, we have worked to make technology an educational and empowering tool. A device strategy in education without the content and professional development to complement it is bound to fail, and we at Microsoft are very aware of this. Our engagement with African governments is to provide them with a holistic, relevant, and value-based educational experience, ripe for the 21st century.

I’m proud to say that African classrooms are now using technology to provide group and individualised learning experiences; that tablets and smartphones, among other devices,are teaching critical 21st century skills; that teachers are working with their colleagues at school and around the world to share best practices and find inspiration; and that education leaders are becoming change agents. Technology is making the educational world smaller – and students are all the better for it.

10 is not the only milestone

But a decade of empowering students and teachers is not the only number to celebrate. In the last 10 years, PiL has:

Reached 12 million educators in 134 countries – 20 of which are in Sub Saharan Africa

Worked directly with over 20,000 schools around the world to bring technology, resources and more into the classroom

Reached over 207 million students – 20% of the world’s population

Looking back to 2003

10 years ago, the goal of PiL was to help educators prepare their students for the jobs of tomorrow. Today, 10 years later, our vision remains unchanged. The vision of PiL is forever relevant. As long as technology is constantly transforming – and there’s no doubt it will – there will be a need to constantly prepare students for the changing global workforce.

Going forward, Microsoft will continue to invest in PiL. We have, in fact, just announced a 5-year extension to our programme, bringing it to a total of $750 million in 15 years. We look forward to celebrating the next big milestone – and making our youth of today the leaders of tomorrow.

By Djam Bakhshandegi, Corporate Citizenship and Partners in Learning West East Central Africa & Indian Ocean Islands

Microsoft’s Partners in Learning isn’t the only initiative to celebrate an anniversary this year. On the 23rd of September 2013, Microsoft’s global YouthSpark programme officially turned one. Over the past 12 months, we’re proud to say that this programme has created opportunities for over 103 million youth worldwide.

But this is only the beginning.

In Africa alone, there are over 200 million people between the ages of 15 and 24 today. When we see that number, we think of all the potential and innovation there is still to be unlocked. Which is why, through YouthSpark and initiatives like 4Afrika, we’re placing more focus on the youth than ever. Young people are at the core of Africa’s economic growth, its innovation and its future. If we can bring access to technology, opportunities for innovation and world-class skills to them, imagine what they can bring back to us.

YouthSpark in Africa has so far impacted over 2.5 million youth. We look forward to reaching more of our young people, and celebrating even more new opportunities this time next year.

By Djam Bakhshandegi, Education Lead for West, East, Central Africa and Indian Ocean Islands

Last week, eight teachers from sub-Saharan Africa are travelling to Barcelona, Spain, to attend the Microsoft in Education Global Forum, a hallmark initiative to recognize the world’s most innovative teachers.

Why? They have been selected to be part of Microsoft’s 2014 class of Mentor Schools and the Inaugural class of Expert Educators. These exclusive one year programmes recognise visionary educators who are using technology to improve student outcomes, equip them with 21st century skills, and who are paving the way for other teachers showing them what be achieved with technology in the classroom

Our youth population is growing fast. Currently, nearly one in three people in sub-Saharan Africa are between the ages of 10 and 24. By 2050, this number is projected to double. So it is essential now more than ever to invest in the education of youth in the region, which in turn, will improve the potential for economic growth and development. At Microsoft, we strongly believe in the role that ICT can play in bridging the emerging opportunity divide and guiding youth toward the education, skills and opportunities they need to prosper in the hyper-connected era. And teachers need to be at the heart of this.

I chatted to some of the teachers who are representing sub-Saharan Africa in Spain. Here is what they had to say about using technology in education:

“Uganda has one of the youngest populations in Africa, and a youth unemployment rate of 63%. So, what Uganda needs is an education system that empowers young people to respond to the pressing needs of the country and the world at large by engaging them to seek to effect positive change,” Chole Richard, Uganda.

“To function in this technology driven world and help in the development of the country, our youth ought to be IT proficient and adequately prepared to shoulder new jobs. Mauritius, being a small island devoid of natural resources, will have to rely on its human resources to ensure continuous economic and social growth. Therefore it is important to empower our youth with the necessary skills to stay in tune with world demand for continuous progress.” Anil Saccaram, Mauritius

“Education is the greatest legacy that can be handed over to the younger generation and we need to invest in the education of Nigerian youth so as to prepare them psychologically, intellectually and socially to deal with life after school. This also invariably leads to national development, peace and security,” Iyke Ikechukwu Chukwu, Nigeria

To be selected as an Expert Educator, teachers much demonstrate a commitment to innovation and taking advantage of technology to deliver lessons in inspiring ways. Here are some of the ways they use technology in the classroom.

“My students use technology for problem solving by creating multimedia with a purpose of voicing their concerns to communities in any part of the world,” Chole Richard, Uganda.

“We are the first school in our country to use technology to teach visual arts. This allows students to gain knowledge in the field and saves time. We use creative software programmes including Windows Movie Maker, imaging and animation tools,” Papa Mamadou, Senegal

All of the teachers can attest to the immediate positive effects of bringing ICT to the classroom.

“Classes have become more interesting, engaging and fun,” Anil Saccaram, Mauritius

“I teach mathematics and further mathematics to semi-rural students. After applying technology in my classroom, the number of students who pass examinations has increased by 73%

especially in the teaching of 3D and abstract maths,” Veranique Obiakor, Nigeria

The Microsoft in Education Forum kicks off on Wednesday, and teachers will be heavily involved in advising Microsoft on its investments in education. They will provide insights on new product

What advice do Microsoft’s Expert Educators have for other teachers?s and tools, and help the company understand how technology works – or doesn’t work – in real-life classrooms.

“Be pragmatic and start with simple applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, which I find are excellent tools enabling teachers to create their own resources.” Veranique Obiakor, Nigeria

“Many young people are already ahead of teachers because they find it easier to (and are already) wholly embracing technology. The teacher therefore needs to be more versatile in order to remain relevant in the lives of the learners.” Chole Richard, Uganda

“Don’t be afraid. Technology is easy and fun for both students and the teacher, there are many courses available for teachers to learn how to implement it in their classrooms effectively,” Hannington Ochieng, Kenya

What do they hope to achieve as part of 2014 Class of Expert Educators?

“I hope to access and use free Microsoft resources to create innovative productivity tools that will help to add more life to my teaching and learning activities.” Ikechukwu Chukwu, Nigeria

“I look forward to making the most of the mentoring and learning opportunities that are now available to me, as well as being able to connect with like-minded educators in Africa. Being a Microsoft Expert Educator will help me to increase learning outcomes for my students, my fellow educators, as well as drive technology in education on a global stage,” David Muya, Kenya.

“I can assure you that I shall do what it takes to ensure this opportunity is transformed to the classroom for improved performance, and improved learning for the entire community,” Hannington Ochieng, Kenya

“I hope to achieve with my students a fully developed art exhibition of works created and performed with technology,” Papa Mamadou, Senegaldele Odeogbola, Nigeria

“I hope to make a difference in education in Nigeria. There is not a lot of budget for education in the country, but I believe that access to technology can level the playing field for children from all backgrounds,” Ayodele Odeogbola, Nigeria

For students around the world, no matter background or location, access to quality education can be challenging. In Africa, it’s usually even tougher. And, when it comes to obtaining a tertiary level qualification, the barriers to entry can seem insurmountable to many young Africans.

These barriers are a huge concern, not only because it means many students aren’t able to follow their career path of choice, but because they impact whole societies. Developing countries require the high-level skills, specialisation, and analytical skills that come with individuals trained at tertiary level. These skills help drive local economies and economic competitiveness in today’s knowledge economy.

This is why I’m so excited about the launch of the Microsoft 4Afrika Scholarship Program, whichwill provide mentorship, leadership and technical training, certification, university-level education, and employment opportunities to promising African students. Through the 4Afrika Initiative and YouthSpark program, we’ve made our intention clear: to help millions of Africans get critical skills for entrepreneurship and employability. And this Scholarship Program is another example of our strategy in action.

It is fitting that the 4Afrika Scholarship Program, as well as the Program’s first partnership with the University of the People (UoPeople), was officially announced on International Youth Day. Through the UoPeople program, which is the first of what will be several participating higher education institutions, 1000 deserving African students will receive 4Afrika Scholarships. These scholarships will help equip students with the skills to follow a rewarding career path and become valuable contributors to society.

The University of the People is a non-profit online institution, offering associate degrees in Computer Science and Business Administration. Both men and women can apply for the Scholarship Program, but we would like to see these scholarships increase the number of women in these subject fields – so we are encouraging lots of young women to apply.

Students who wish to apply for the first 4Afrika Scholarships to the University of the People must be at least 18 years of age, have a high school diploma and be proficient in English, as the Program’s coursework is English-language. Applications can be submitted on the following site: www.uopeople.org/4afrika. The first 4Afrika Scholarship students will begin classes in November 2013.

We are looking forward to expanding this program over time, so I encourage all young people to stay tuned for more opportunities that could benefit them by following us on the Microsoft Africa Facebook page, or on @MicrosoftAfrica on Twitter, or checking out www.youth4afrika.com.

By: Marc Israel, Office Division Group Lead for Microsoft West, East and Central Africa and Indian Ocean Islands

It’s no secret that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the powerhouse of the African continent. In fact, the UN estimates that they contribute over 50% to employment and GDP in most African countries and account for about 90% of private businesses. But it’s not always easy doing business in Africa, as many entrepreneurs reading this will know. And access to affordable technology, which is key to growth, is one of the biggest challenges. On top of this, there’s often a shortage of internal skills to get the best out of complex and expensive technologies. Cloud computing, which essentially means using the internet to host and access software, is a real opportunity for SMEs that want world-class technology at an affordable price and that’s easy to use. Here’s how:

AffordabilityWith cloud, you can pay-as-you-go, so you only pay for what you need as you need it. Designed for companies with between 1 and 10 employees, Office 365 Small Business Premium gives you all the richness of Office applications, but extending the functionality to make it available via the cloud means you can save big on your IT budget.

A lack of technical expertiseOffice 365 Small Business Premium is simple enough for anyone to use and can be up and running in minutes -- with a domain, website, email addresses, video and audio conferencing and offline access.

ScalabilityAs your company grows your needs change, but you don’t want to have to buy expensive new software, especially if you’ve just bought new computers to accommodate a growing employee base. With cloud, you can purchase just what you need without paying for additional licenses, costly upgrades, or a whole new batch of software packages for each new device. While Office 365 Small Business Premium is designed with the smaller company in mind, scaling up to Office 365 is as easy as logging in online and clicking your mouse! Voila, business growth as easy as that.

Mobility is also critical for African businesses that often operate across vast geographies and face traditional infrastructure and connectivity gaps. The delivery of cloud services through mobile devices means you can check emails while on the road, deliver invoices in front of a client, and check your finances during a business meeting so you don’t miss out on clinching that deal there and then! Office 365 allows users to access functionality across multiple devices at no extra charge. So, you can work on documents at the same time as your business partners in different countries, connect via Lync or Skype calls, share calendars and more. It works the same on Windows PCs and Mac, and is compatible with iPads and Android tablets, enabling a mobile workforce. Icing on the cake, even if you lack connectivity, you can still be productive with all your documents and emails right on your device, synchronized to the cloud as soon as connectivity comes back.

We believe that cloud computing has the potential to transform the region through empowering SMEs to embrace the technology they need. If you’re still unsure, why not visit our Office 365 video hub for free tutorials and our SME video hub for tips on how to unlock your business potential with our software.

Africa is essentially a continent of young people – and it’s growing fast. In fact, the top 10 youngest populations in the world are all from Africa, led by Niger, where nearly half the population is below the age of 14. This demographic reality means that many countries on the continent are struggling to keep up with the exploding demand by young people for the skills needed to perform the jobs of today and tomorrow. They’re battling to develop modern workforces, and provide opportunities for the youth.

This is one of the reasons why we at Microsoft launched our 4Afrika Initiative earlier this year, in an attempt to drive innovation, skills development and access across the continent – and more importantly, to accelerate economic development for the continent. Recently, I visited Kenya and South Africa, and I was very happy to see that 4Afrika is already having a meaningful impact on the lives of young Africans.

In Kenya, I was fortunate enough to meet President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House in Nairobi to discuss ways that Microsoft could partner with the Kenyan government. President Kenyatta is a firm believer in the power of technology to drive education and skills development for young people. He even tweeted about our meeting, and was very supportive of the work we’re doing with Mawingu, to deliver high-speed broadband through white spaces to parts of Kenya which are currently off the national power grid.

Our discussion was about how Microsoft can partner with the Kenyan government to help ensure its students and teachers get the very best out of a critical information and communications technology (ICT) investment the government is currently making. They are working on a solution to deliver computers to all first grade students in Kenya, and it was an honor to talk to the President and his team about the value of the entire ICT ecosystem in education – including devices but also critical elements such as teacher training, curriculum, content and more. I’ve since sent President Kenyatta a proposal for what we think we can bring to Kenya’s students through the combined power of devices and services, and we’re looking forward to engaging with him and his government as they move ahead in this important process.

While there, I was also able to spend some time with Kenyan youth. We had an excellent hour-long session at the iHub in Nairobi with students, bloggers, innovators, start-ups and upcoming developers, where we sharedviews on the opportunities available through Microsoft, and how to grow the developer ecosystem in Africa. The message is clear: there’s lots of excitement about the power of technology to make a difference, and people see Microsoft as a key part of the journey. We are committed to delivering on this for Africa.

I next travelled on to South Africa, where the highlight of my visit to Johannesburg was the announcement of a major partnership with the South African Government’s Jobs Fund which will train more than 3000 unemployed graduates to get permanent jobs in the technology sector in the next three years through our Students 2 Business (S2B) program. This represents an extension of our existing S2B efforts, which have already trained more than 6500 South African graduates to date and placed more than 75 percent of them in jobs.

Investing in this way with the Jobs Fund and 4Afrika, we’ll dramatically expand this existing skills development program, adding capacity to South Africa’s growing IT industry, and also providing much-needed jobs at a time when youth unemployment is one of the biggest threats and challenges facing the country.

Again, our partnership with government is key to the success of 4Afrika. Patrick Dlamini, chief executive of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), which administers the Jobs Fund, described the partnership as “a major breakthrough” that would help foster closer collaboration between the public and private sectors in creating jobs in South Africa.

What this tells us is that we’re on the right track in terms of providing support and solutions that make a difference in the lives of African people, and talk to the issues being experienced on the ground. At the end of the day, it’s all about being locally relevant. And right now, you can’t be much more relevant than enabling the creation of a knowledge economy across the continent by using Africa’s greatest resource – its people.

We are living in what many people call the ‘age of consumption’. We’re constantly purchasing new gadgets and devices, most of which have relatively short lifespans. The lifespan of most electronic devices is only about 3 years. And it’s not just that some things aren’t made to last. Technology is evolving at such a rate that soon after you’ve bought something, a newer, better and faster version is released. We often throw things away not because they are broken, but because we want a newer model.

The impact this has on the environment is alarming. Many of our gadgets contain toxic substances that are harmful to the environment. It’s called e-Waste – and it's an increasing problem across the globe. As a technology company, Microsoft is committed to being part of the solution.

I recently visited the WEEE Centre (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), the only e-Waste Management Centre in Kenya, and came back feeling very privileged to have met, and partnered, with this wonderful and passionate organisation. Microsoft has, in fact, been a partner to the centre’s founder, Dr Tom Musili, for over 10 years.

Dr Musili took me on a tour of the centre and explained how they recycle ‘e-Waste’. It’s far more complex than I imagined. The centre sorts through waste to establish what can be reused and what needs to be dismantled into parts for recycling. Cables are separated and stripped to use the copper. Hard plastic is shredded into powder and mixed with ad plastic to make fencing poles. Some things are particularly difficult to deal with, such as computers with the older Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors, which contain very harmful substances. These are taken apart with a special machine which cuts the glass away to be reused. Motherboards (from computers and phones) are also difficult to handle, and are shipped to a partner in Belgium that specialises in disposing them in an environmentally-friendly manner.

Giving new life to old computers

Of course, some computers that are thrown away are still in working order – or just need a little maintenance. They are unwanted, but Musili is adamant that they can still serve an important role in under-resourced schools. And I agree with him. While we know that African schools should not be getting ‘left-overs’ from the rest of society, there can be no disputing that an old computer is better than no computer at all. With the fastest growing consumer market in the world, we are certain to get an ever increasing number of devices on the continent. Our channels for disposing of used hardware therefore need to be optimal to recycle good parts and destroy e-waste and safeguard our environment.

This is the rationale behind Musili’s second project, ‘Computers for Schools Kenya’, which refurbishes old computers for use in schools that currently have no computers at all. The organisation has not only already equipped over 100 000 schools with computers, but has worked to maintain them, trained over 20 000 educators and provided students with computer literacy certifications.

Last month Computers for Schools Kenya joined the TechSoup Global Network. As TechSoup Kenya, the organisation can now supplement its hardware and services offering with software at very low fees in conjunction with ICT donor partners, such as Microsoft, as well as by supporting NGOs to make the most of their ICT purchases and infrastructure.

So, the next time you have a computer or cellphone you’d like to get rid of, look up your nearest recycling service or e-Waste organisation. At least you know your gadgets are going to a good cause.

Africa is big, really big. In terms of land mass, China, India, the USA and most of Western Europe could all easily fit within its footprint. This size presents its own problems, not the least of which is the difficulty of connecting people to the Internet. The usual copper and fiber combination often doesn’t cut it, especially in rural areas where more than 60 percent of the population resides.

To bridge the divide, we been working to deploy affordable broadband services using white space technology (unused TV frequencies). Having launched pilots in Kenya and Tanzania under the 4Afrika Initiative – and in the UK and Singapore, we are excited to be bringing this technology to South Africa. Five secondary schools in remote parts of the Limpopo province will now benefit from the combination of low-cost wireless broadband, plus great Windows devices and relevant services for education.

Around 28 percent of South Africa’s 50 million people are online, according to the latest report published by the Digital Media and Marketing Association and Echo Consultancy, and South Africa’s minister for science and technology, Derek Hanekom, has set a target of getting 80 percent connected by 2020. Achieving this goal would enable many more in South Africa to take advantage of the burgeoning digital economy. Through this pilot and other efforts, we at Microsoft are deeply committed to helping the government succeed in this important effort.

Education is fundamental to the economic development of any country, and it is education that stands to gain the most from this particular white spaces project. Using the University of Limpopo as a hub for a new white space network which is delivered through solar-powered base stations, the project will also provide each of the five schools with Windows tablets, projectors, teacher laptops and training, solar panels for device re-charging, and education-related content.

In Singapore last month, Microsoft – as a member of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance – was advocating laws and regulations that promote better use of spectrum frequencies. The results so far are a testament to the power of the Internet, while the 4Afrika Initiative shows that intelligent use of unused spectrum frequencies can help connect the unconnected.

Of course technology access creates enormous potential, but we believe it’s this end-to-end package of access plus devices and services which enables true advancement and economic development. This is why we launched 4Afrika, an initiative designed to empower and educate African youth, entrepreneurs, developers, and business and civic leaders to turn great ideas into a reality that can help their community, their country, the continent and beyond. Starting here in Limpopo, we are looking forward to working with South Africa to bring more and more of our own online.

Technology is changing the world and has transformed the way people work and play forever. The term ‘global village’ has become popular to describe how friends, family and businesses spread out across countries and continents are able to communicate effectively and close the physical gap between them with the aid of technology. Africa currently has more than 650 million mobile phone subscribers and over 167 million internet users, and these numbers will grow dramatically over the next few years. African smartphone penetration is also predicted to increase to 17% in 2017, according to Analysis Mason, and this will further drive internet adoption.

The interconnectivity explosion and innovation of new devices, has created a world where people can connect and do business anytime, anywhere. Businesses are taking advantage of new technologies to become more flexible, agile, and penetrate previously inaccessible markets and borders. And having the right operating system in place is critical to support a new, and better way of doing things.

Windows 8, which has just sold over 100 million licences, is designed for mobility and connectivity, making it the perfect platform across all devices. With a touch screen interface it operates seamlessly on tablets and smartphones, but is just as exciting for traditional PCs operated by a keyboard and mouse.

In addition to enhanced security and reliability, it has a super speedy boot time, operates ten times faster than XP, and saves power and battery consumption by over 20%. A colourful, customisable dashboard, and intuitive swipe gestures, gives Windows 8 a ‘cool’ edge. There are over 60 000 Windows apps already available and Microsoft is investing heavily through our DevCamps, AppFactory, and Imagine Cup initiatives, in a generation of African developers with the skills and expertise to increase Windows 8’s local offerings.

When it comes to technology, our continent is abuzz with excitement! So join the party and download Windows 8 now.

A new look and feel Start Screen with Live Tiles is fully customisable and acts as a virtual bulletin board where you can pin specific websites and particular sections from an app.

BitLocker, a security feature that encrypts your PC to protect it from complex, modern threats.

Windows To Go allows you to save your own customised version of Windows 8 with all settings, documents and apps on a USB stick. When plugged into another device, it will look exactly the same. Perfect for a mobile workforce!

Handwritten note-taking in One Note and commenting on a Word document by hand using digital ink. Sales staff can also close deals on-site by collecting a customer’s signature directly on the display.

Windows 8 Storage Spaces lets you expand your storage without replacing your drive and uses data mirroring across drives so that, even if one of the drives crashes, the data remains available.

SkyDrive acts as a data-keeper in the cloud with the ability for you to store, edit, and share Office documents and multimedia content online, from any device.

A highly useful dashboard for displaying critical information quickly. Including business metrics, sales information, supplier and partner status, and more. Easier access to information and critical apps is great for business! Improve your business in a minute with Windows 8 videos from our BusinessHub

A great man once said that the internet is the greatest equaliser. I go further to say that access to information through technology is the greatest equaliser.

I remember the first time I switched on a computer. It was just after my Matric year, and it was an x286 PC running MS DOS. I was totally fascinated by the blinking cursor, and by programs like WordPerfect and Pascal. From that day on, I started growing my own software collection, booting programs from a series of 1.44 MegaByte floppy disks. I’m still growing my collection, except now I’m using USB storage devices with 34 GigaBytes of space, and at less than a tenth of the size!

Technology has become a lot smaller over the years. But as an enabler, technology is only getting bigger. Now that the natural user interface has become so mainstream, you no longer need to be a rocket scientist to use a computer. Anyone with a PC can, and in fact is, using computers to access valuable information that leads to new skills, and even economic opportunities. Technology enables people from all over the world to explore their true potential. It makes industries more productive and competitive. And it enables governments to be more effective at service delivery and to stay connected to its citizens.

Information has become like currency and the access to it – whether through traditional means, the internet, social media or mobile communications – has become the lifeblood of thriving economies. Citizens are connected in real-time – they can be productive anywhere! And businesses can deliver products and services at the right time, place and price. ICT holds transformational opportunities for Africa.

Unfortunately, there is a shortage of skills required to deploy, run and maintain most of these ICT systems in Africa. These skills are highly sought after in the world, and sadly, qualified Africans are gravitating towards the more developed markets with better compensation packages. However, if we want to solve the continent’s technology-related challenges, we need African solutions, developed by African people. Solutions which are relevant and which take into account the present set of circumstances. Only an African knows how best to solve an African problem. So how do we encourage them to stay? How do we encourage bright minds to develop locally relevant solutions?

We make sure they see value in the opportunities of Africa.

There’s huge opportunity in mobile solutions. Did you know there are, on average, 2.5 mobile phones per person on the African continent? Mobile apps have become the centre of how people create solutions to real-life challenges. Look, for example, at Tonee Ndungu’s Kytabu app, which is providing affordable textbooks to students in Kenya. He’s just received an innovation grant from Microsoft. His app was also named the education application most likely to change the world in this decade.

Mobile devices have also become our key engagement and entertainment tools. Look here at Nigeria’s Abiola Olaniran, CEO of Gamsole and developer of mobile games. In his first 11 weeks, Abiola saw over one million downloads of his games. He is now Nigeria’s highest paid Windows Game developer.

Tonee and Abiola saw opportunities. And they seized them. Unfortunately, when it comes to opportunities in ICT, a lot of people make two cardinal mistakes. One: They think they need a diploma or degree in ICT to get started. But what if I told you that Tonee has a degree in International Relations and Journalism? As I said, it’s access to information that is the greatest equaliser. There are so many free online ICT tools out there, where you can teach yourself and develop your own skills. Microsoft, for example, has the Microsoft Virtual Academy, a massive online portal filled with free online IT training and courses, all designed by industry experts. And that’s just one of our tools.

The second mistake is that students and graduates think that being qualified in ICT alone is the only way to have a career in ICT. To that I say, the field is vast! Sales, in fact, is an area in ICT where there is a great shortage of suitably qualified and experienced individuals. Why is sales relevant? Even Microsoft has to sell its products! We’re a business, after all. I, for example, studied toward a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and Management Information Systems, and a Masters in Business Administration. Now I’m the country manager of Microsoft Nigeria! There is, and will always be, value in key business skills. IT, after all, exists to support business. Finding business solutions that are first underpinned by ICT solutions is an area where I’m in my element.

I have no doubt that Africa is the land of opportunity. There’s no place like it. I’ve only touched on a few of its opportunities here, but as the country manager in Nigeria, I’ve made it my goal to help Africans see more of these opportunities. I want them to see the value in them and to foster meaningful 21st century skills that will help them seize them. I encourage every African to play, learn and explore with technology. You have the access to the tools – seize the opportunity to unlock your full potential and create your own destiny!

Kunle Awosika, Microsoft Kenya’s country manager, shared an interesting insight with me the other day. He said that he read an article which stated that according to a survey by PwC, 75% of CEOs in the region are in need of skilled workers. He added that by 2015, Africa is expected to attract USD 150 billion foreign trades. And the biggest challenge is that there aren’t enough skilled workers to meet these business requirements.

At Microsoft, we are well aware of the substantial gap that exists between the demand and supply of skills development in Africa. People across the continent crave learning opportunities, but there simply aren’t enough of them. Through our 4Afrika Initiative, we’ve set out to increase these opportunities and help bring world-class skills to Africans. We’re continually developing more programs to help us achieve this goal. And we’ve recently developed one more…

There are currently over 100 000 people around the globe who work for Microsoft. We have an intercontinental network of some of the brightest minds around with expertise in IT, Marketing, Engineering and more. And so, we thought, what better way to help bring critical skills to Africa than through our vast pool of talent?

Say hello to MySkills4Afrika.

MySkills4Afrika is a Microsoft employee volunteer program. It is designed to enable Microsoft’s employees, from all over the world, to play a significant role in improving Africa’s competitiveness. We’re giving employees the opportunity to mentor, coach and train African developers, partners, government leaders, SMEs and recent graduates. We’re encouraging both technical and non-technical employees to participate too. This way, we can bring in a much wider range of needed skills, including marketing, sales, leadership, business operations, project management, HR, app development, infrastructure and cloud computing. As one of our volunteers has said: “This program is not about painting a school or planting trees. It is about developing Africa’s business climate to enable people to compete and reach their full potential.”

Samar Patel, Regional Sales Director of Techno Brain Ltd. One of Microsoft’s partners has benefited through this program with his business development managers from East Africa receiving training from one of the volunteers. He said “MySkills4Afrika has helped us in understanding how diverse markets and culture operate to strengthen and build skills in Africa.”

And the benefits are two-fold. Each employee that is accepted into the program will be assigned a specific area of focus and a series of virtual assignments. They will then spend one to two weeks on the ground in Africa. So we’re also promoting global leadership and skills development amongst our own employees, as well as a better understanding of the African markets throughout the company.

We’re already seeing enormous successes from the program, both on the beneficiary side, and from our employees, who testify that their lives have positively changed through the experience. These include Melanie Sharpe from China, Michelle Agudera from Netherlands, and Jossie Tirado from Mexico based out of Seattle

Here’s what they had to say.

“Coming to the end of an AMAZING week in Johannesburg. With Darren Daniels & Lindi Chatterton, we rolled out a Career Lift development program for 150+ Student2Business Microsoft interns who are being trained on MSFT technology across Johannesburg. Feeling the impact of the herculean S2B program and our passion...Thank you for the amazing opportunity MySkills4Afrika!”

– Melanie Sharpe, volunteer in Johannesburg

“I was actually surprised at how many volunteer opportunities there were. A real spectrum, from deep technical training, to hard core selling, right all the way through to career development. I leave South Africa with a heavier and fuller heart, returning to Amsterdam with a new found love for this country and its people.”- Michelle Agudera, volunteer in Johannesburg.

“I got accepted to showcase Office 2013/Office 365. My audience included students, new developers, small businesses and researchers. You realize how the skills we use every day are often taken for granted. It makes a paramount difference when you share them with small businesses and entrepreneurs in markets like Africa.”

- Jossie Tirado, volunteer in Kenya

We’re excited to see employees, such as Melanie, Michelle and Jossie, contributing their time, talent and expertise. They are sharing vital skills and perspectives, which is helping Africans grow, innovate and compete on a global level. And that’s our goal. MySkills4Afrika looks forward to seeing over 50 volunteers from 17 countries work in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Botswana, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritius, Tanzania and Egypt. We’ll also see an additional 200 volunteers doing their work virtually. We eagerly await their success stories, and will be watching closely as they empower people all over Africa.